Danger
by FuzzyBee013
Summary: How does James react to some troubling news? Will a certain someone be there to comfort him? Does this cause a chain of events that can only lead to destruction and doom? set in the marauder's 6th year
1. Chapter 1 Care to Share

**Disclaimer**- I do not own the Harry Potter series

James, Sirius, and Remus were messing around in the back of their sixth year transfiguration class n to paying attention to McGonagall's lecture. Peter happened to be in the hospital wing so it was just the three of them for the day.

"Hey, Sirius, don't you think _Minnie _looks exceptionally fine this afternoon?" James asked his friend.

"Oh she brightens the day like the morning sun, her thin lipped smile reminds me of the straight lines of parchment, and her great big tight bun makes me think of cinnamon rolls in the morning. James, I think I'm in love," Sirius said in a dreamlike state before turning to a more serious tone. "Is everything set?"

"Yup, I prepped the last of it before class started," James replied equally serious like they were discussing business, and to the marauders, it was.

"Good, I can't wait to see McGonagall's face!" Sirius said excitedly and louder than needed which caused a glare from McGonagall before she continued on with her lecture signaling that she hadn't actually heard what Sirius had said.

"That was a close one," James laughed muffling it up with his arm.

"Could you have said it any louder, Sirius?" Remus laughed along, for once not taking notes.

"Why aren't you taking notes?" Sirius asked after realizing just that.

"It's about animagus transformations and I thought we knew enough about that to have to take notes," Remus explained.

"Yeah we know all about that," James laughed nudging Sirius. They had just perfected their transformations at the end of the following year and they were having way too much fun with it.

The class proceeded with friendly banter between the three boys in the back and though McGonagall noticed she didn't say anything about it. She wanted them to have one more normal day without any worries because one of them was going to get news that would change their lives forever.

"Class dismissed!" she said after the two hours were up. She couldn't delay it any longer now and beckoned the three boys over to her. They looked at each other wondering what they had done or if she had figured out what they were planning to do at dinner that night.

"Yes, Professor?" James asked looking questioning at her.

"James, you are to report to Professor Dumbledore immediately and don't worry you aren't in trouble," McGonagall said noticing his guilty expression and adding the last bit. That wasn't what had worried James though; it was the use of his first name. McGonagall never called anyone by their first name except adults and when something bad was going to happen.

"Um... alright, Professor. Would you have any idea why?" James asked still looking worried.

"It's just best if you hurry on your way now, James, don't keep Dumbledore waiting," She shooed him off hoping against hope that it was a mistake.

Once James had left the classroom and all you could hear were his footsteps steadily making their way further and further away did McGonagall address the other two boys.

"You boys aren't in trouble but I would like you to wait outside Dumbledore's office for James instead of going straight to dinner." They looked questionly at each other.

"Is something wrong, Professor?" Remus asked not liking the sound of things.

"It worries me how he will react to the news he will be receiving and its just best that you two are there with him," she said quickly not giving anything away and leaving the two boys looking bewildered as she bustled out of the classroom.

"Wonder what that was about?" Sirius asked following the retreating figure of McGonagall.

"I don't know but it worries me," Remus replied.

* * *

><p>The two boys slowly made their way towards the headmaster's office. They met a few people along the way and exchanged a friendly hello before finally making their way there. The stone gargoyle was their angel blocking their way into Eden and so they camped out across the hallway, waiting for James. James had been in there a while now and as the minutes stretched into an hour anticipation grew.<p>

"I wonder what's up." Sirius sighed, getting a little angry that they would have to take a trip down to the kitchens if they had any hope of getting dinner.

"McGonagall said that it wasn't a punishment, but James has been in there a while now. It can't be anything good if she was worried how James would react. I just hope it's not what I'm thinking," Remus said.

"Well waiting here so long it lets the mind wonder. I already have a few theories."

"Care to share?"

"Well one is that Prongs isn't really the Potters son. He really is the son of a merperson and veela. It would explain why I am so attracted to him and how he can also be really annoying," Sirius laughed.

"Yeah and then he has a mysterious twin who happens to be in Japan and he has to go rescue him from evil giants going to destroy all half-breeds," Remus laughed along.

"And then somehow he magically sprouts gills and fins and become a merman at will."

"But wait there's more," Remus said dramatically but he didn't finish because the gargoyle leading towards the headmasters office pulled aside revealing a moving staircase. James appeared moments later and the look on his face stopped his friend's mid-laugh. His face was a complete mask not revealing anything but the way he held his tense body, how his mouth was slanted more southward then his normal relaxed face, and the slight reddish tinge around his eyes that seems to be completely soulless, said it all.

"What happened, James?" Sirius and Remus said together realizing something was wrong immediately and came over, closer to him. He didn't reply, he didn't even register that they were there. He just stood there looking straight ahead not doing anything, motionless.

"James?" Remus said in concern. This seemed to break him out of his reverie. Instead of addressing his friends his face broke out in anger and he took off down the hall.

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	2. Chapter 2 James what's wrong?

**Disclaimer**- I do not own the Harry Potter series

James was making a mad dash to the common room, not caring who he was shoving over as they got in his way. He didn't even see the walls filled with the colorful streams of pictures that bellowed at him to slow down. He didn't care what they had to say, he didn't care about anything. HIs life had just ended, and what were you supposed to do when that happened?

Sirius and Remus ran after James as he sprinted toward Gryffindor tower. They had no idea what was wrong with James but from his expression and actions they knew that it had to be something huge. James was usually good in high stress situations and could take anything unexpected, but seeing him like this, this just wasn't James. It made them worried just thinking what Dumbledore could have told him. What could make him act like this?

They made it to the portrait of the fat lady and they could just see the back of James's robes as he fled down the tunnel leading into the tower.

"Password," she asked.

"Cornish Pixies!" Sirius and Remus screamed at her. They streaked past her as she scolded them at being so rude, but they had no time for apologies right now they needed to find out what was wrong with James.

They ran through the passage and ran right into Lily Evans and she had a very disapproving and stubborn look on her face.

"What are you guys up to now? I just saw Potter run in here and I demand to know what you guys are up to," she said with her arms crossed over her chest, not letting them past.

"Not now, Evans, this isn't the time," Sirius said shoving her out of the way and running up the stairs to the boys dormitories.

"Black!" she shouted after him, but he didn't stop once, taking the stairs two at a time.

"Sorry, Lily," Remus said helping her up before running up the stairs behind Sirius... He left her looking bemused and angry, staring after the boys who thought they could just walk all over her. She would get to the bottom of this; she had had enough of Potter and his friends.

When Sirius and Remus entered the sixth year boy's dormitory it was complete chaos. There were books, quills, clothes, and pieces of parchment scattered about and being thrown through the air and at the center of it was James Potter digging through all of the trunks at the ends of the four poster beds.

"James what are you doing?" Sirius asked moving closer to him and trying to get him to stop destroying everything in his trunk. James didn't even flinch or stop what he was doing but did, gladly, make a response.

"Looking for the map," he said shortly, and after realizing that there was nothing left in Sirius's trunk moved on to the next one, which happened to be Remus's.

"James, stop, I know where it is," Remus said laying a hand on his shoulder. He jumped up unexpectedly and what Remus saw in his face was not what he wanted to see. He had a distressed look on his face that was mixed with some sort of sadness. His eyes were reddened and there were big purple bags under his eyes, even though the traumatic event only happened a few moments ago, it seemed James's had been carrying this burden for weeks by the way his face showed stress marks and worry wrinkles.

"Give it to me, Moony, I need it now," he demanded sticking his hand out.

"Not until you tell us what happened," Remus said being stubborn, but that didn't stop James. He only shrugged his shoulders as if to say 'If you won't give it to me I'll find it myself' and went back to searching the trunks.

Hating to see his friend in so much desperate distress he pulled the map out and tapped him on the back with it. He spun around and ripped it out of his hands and muttered under his breath 'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good,' impatiently and then started moving down the stairs towards the common room. Once he located who he was looking for he started running and Remus and Sirius sprinted to catch up with him. He would tell them what was wrong, eventually, wouldn't he?

James shoved the packet of parchment into his robe pocket and hurried his way down the spiral stairs. He was going down so fast that he hadn't realized someone was coming up, and that someone happened to be Lily Evans.

"Potter! What are you three up to, and don't you dare tell me nothing," she demanded after righting herself.

"Not now, Evans," James said trying to shove past her like Sirius did before, but this time they were in a much narrower space so it was much more difficult to get past her. By this time Remus and Sirius had caught up with James and seeing them here she continued.

"Well, now that you're all here you can tell me what you're up to," she said again.

"Lily, not now," Remus tried to tell her, but it was too late.

"GET OUT OF MY WAY, EVANS!" James bursted out, finally looking at her.

She saw something there that she had never seen whenever he looked at her. Anger shown in his bright hazel eyes and it was like a burning explosion waiting to happen. He had sadness weighing down on his face and she was so surprised to see it there. HIs hair was even more messed up and crazy then usually from him running his hands through it during his frantic search. James was always carefree and had no worries at all. This face though, James now worried face, contradicted everything that she thought him to be.

After holding his gaze for so long she broke it and looked at his friends behind him. They all had worried expressions focused on James and seemed to be as clueless as she was. She knew something was wrong and she felt bad for her actions and wanted to make it up with a different approach.

"James, what's wrong?" she asked in a small soft voice.

He only shoved past her and muttered "None of your business, Evans," before taking off down the rest of the stairs, running over a few first years, and making his way out of the tower.

"What was that about?" she demanded of his friends following after them.

"No idea," they said together following James. Thinking that she had nothing better to do and her curiosity getting the better of her, she followed after them.

James rushed down the hall for the second time that night. The wind his strong legs were making lifted his hair and cooled his neck. His anger was getting the best of him and he could feel his ears getting red but now that he had a mission, something to occupy him, he could put off the pain for a few more minutes.

He came to a stop at an intersection of two hallways. There, across from him, stood his prey. Severus Snape.

"SNAPE!" he yelled causing him to jump a bit but then, realizing who it was, regained his composure and met him with a sneer.

"What do you want, Potter?" he said walking closer to him and smirking at the redness he saw in James's eyes. "Something bothering you?" he laughed.

"I got a message for you to convey!" James yelled at him, all his bottled up anger coming out on him. He needed to do this and he would fulfill it.

"To who?" Snape asked with another award winning sneer.

"You know very well to who! Your Master, the one you have willingly given your life over too!"

Snape seemed surprised at this response. He hadn't realized that Potter and his friends knew that he was a death eater.

"What's the message?" he said showing no emotion.

"That no matter how long it takes, or what I have to do, even if it kills me, I will get my revenge. You tell him that he better be careful and watch out for James Andrew Potter! I won't rest until my parents are avenged! You tell your master that I"M GONNA KILL HIM! YOU HEAR ME? I"M GONNA KILL HIM, EVEN IF IT TAKES ME DYING BREATH! VOLDEMORT IS GOING TO DIE! And I intend it to be at my hand..." he ended in a whisper meant only for Snape. Remus, Sirius, and Lily had shown up at this point and had heard his whole "message" and were shocked at what they heard.

"So the Dark Lord has finally acted upon the filthy blood traitors, you call family?" Snape laughed. At that moment James had had enough.

"You better get out of here, Snivelus, or else I'm going to have to find another messenger, because your ass is going to be cursed into oblivion!" James yelled, tears filling his eyes.

Snape only laughed more, but still took the threat seriously. The Dark Lord would be pleased at the reaction he got out of the Potter boy, and he wanted to be the one to convey this information. He left chuckling to himself, having one last glance at the earful Potter, before turning his back on him to send the message.

"James!" Remus, Sirius, and Lily said running over to him. James barely heard them; he was too consumed in his own thought. His parents were dead! Could they not see the pain he was in? Why must they budge in and try to stop this from happening? Didn't he have a right to mourn?

He flinched away from their touches and broke down even more into sobs, sobs that wracked his whole body until he ached.

"James..." Sirius said at a loss for words. He loved the Potter's like his own parents and it hadn't yet dawned on him yet, what had happened to him. He only saw his best friend the most vulnerable he had ever seen him. A crowd was beginning to gather, watching the scene, and he did what any good friend would do.

"Get out and back to your dormitories, there's nothing to see here. Don't make me hex you!" he yelled at the gathering students and by the intense and serious expression on Sirius's masked face they took him seriously.

Sirius and Remus tried once again and unsuccessfully to comfort James but he only moaned for them to go away and leave him alone. Lily just stood looking at him so surprised at what she saw, James Potter crying? Who would have thought? She always imagined him as an invincible super hero that could never harmed and was just this everlasting presence that would never go away. She was afraid, now, that maybe the carefree James was gone and he would never be the same.

Out of some unconscious thought she approached the sobbing boy and wrapped her arms around him. He didn't flinch or pull away, just let himself be held.

"It's okay, James, I have you. You will be okay. Everything will be okay..." She murmured, comforting him for however long he needed to be comforted. She was there for him and though she didn't like to admit it, she was glad that she could be the one to comfort him.

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	3. Chapter 3 Where are you?

**Disclaimer**- I do not own the Harry Potter series

**Authors Note**- thanks for all the reviews it's awesome to know that you guys like it and sorry for the delayed update I've been on vacation for a bit.

**Chapter 3 Where are you**

James didn't know how long they stayed like that but the next thing he knew he was waking up in his four poster in Gryffindor tower. He blearily opened his eyes while his hand searched for his glasses on the table next to him. With a shock all that had happened hit him full in the face. He dropped his glasses, his eyes shot fully open, and tears began to swim in his eyes. How could he have forgotten? He had just lost the two most important people in his life; his life would never again be the same.

"James," a quiet voice whispered. This caused James to jump a bit and he looked over to see a chair pulled up to his bed that carried a certain red haired girl.

"What are you doing here?" he asked and not very nicely.

"I wanted to make sure you were alright," she said gently, knowing that he's not really himself right then.

"Why do you suddenly care?" James asked getting out of bed and fixing his glasses before putting them on his face.

"We may not be best friends but that doesn't mean I want to see you hurt," Lily said, standing up now and coming closer to James.

"Just stay away from me," was all he said before evading her open arms and running out the door to the common room.

"James wait!" she called behind him, but he didn't stop.

Her yelling woke up the other occupants of the room as they slowly made their way to some sort of consciousness.

"What... er Lily why are you yelling?" A bleary eyed Sirius asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes in the midst of a huge yawn.

"Because James just ran out again," she said exasperated, plopping herself back in her chair.

"You called him James," Sirius said surprised.

"Hope he doesn't make this a habit," Remus said at the same time.

"What is wrong with you guys? Your best friend just lost his parents and all you can do is make jokes at his expense?" Lily cried jumping up again in outrage.

"Since when did you ever give a shit about James? You're the one who always treated him like he was a piece of horse shit, never giving him the time of day, and now you're telling us how to treat our friend!" Sirius said taking the offensive side now.

"Sirius, Lily, both of you sit down and calm down," Remus said always the peace keeper. Once he saw they were both seated he nodded and continued. "Now just take a deep breath and lets think about this."

"Remus, I'm done thinking about this. We need to find James, who knows what he's going to get himself into," Sirius said after about a minute, standing once again.

"Maybe he just needs to be alone right now?" Remus asked knowing that Sirius would never take that as an answer.

"But that doesn't mean he needs to be," Lily spoke up surprising Remus. "Especially right now."

"How would you know?" Sirius sneered at her.

"Because I know what it's like to loose someone," she said quietly, stunning Sirius into silence.

"Where do you think he could have gone?" Remus asked breaking the silence.

"Well, let's check the map," Sirius said already rummaging through their drawers. "Where did we have it last?"

"Didn't James have it?" Remus asked.

"Shit, how we going to find him now?" Sirius said realizing that James had it still.

"Think like James...?" Lily said a little sheepishly. "Where does he like to go?"

"What about the tree by the lake?" Sirius asked.

"Good place to start," Remus said already making his way towards the door.

The three of them took off to look for James in all places. They started with the tree by the lake, then the quidditch pitch, then the astronomy tower, Hagrids, and pretty much any place they could think of from then on but there was no sign of James. By the time they got out of Hagrids hut it had started snowing and it was getting dangerously cold. The snow flakes made different patterns on their faces and reddened their cheeks.

"Its getting cold, do you think he will still be outside?" Lily asked.

"Knowing James he probably hasn't even realized that it's started snowing," Remus said with a sigh. They had been looking all day and now that it was snowing and starting to get dark they still haven't located the messy black haired boy.

"Do you think its time we alert the teachers?" Lily asked.

"That will only make it worse. The last thing we need is the teachers making a hoot about it, we won't hear the last of it from James, when we find him," Sirius said.

"Sirius, I think Lily's right. We haven't found him all day and what if we don't find him at all? He could be hurt or lost somewhere and there are only three of us, its time to let the teachers know," Remus said thinking only of his friend. He didn't care if James made fun of them for the rest of their lives; he just wanted his friend back with them inside Gryffindor common room with everything back to normal.

Sirius nodded in defeat and they made their way up to the castle.

A grumble interrupted them when they made it into the entrance hall.

"Maybe we could wait after dinner. He hasn't eaten all day so maybe he will show up and Dumbledore won't even be in his office," Sirius suggested.

"I guess waiting a little longer couldn't hurt," Remus agreed.

The three made there way into the great Hall and hoped that James would show up. Lily, instead of sitting with her friends, sat down next to the marauders, much to their surprise.

"You don't have to sit next to us, you can sit with your friends," Sirius said to her, looking at her strangely.

"No, I'm fine here," was all she said in reply as she dug into her pot pie. She hadn't eaten since breakfast which was just a quick piece of toast as they searched for James in the kitchens.

They finished and saw that Dumbledore was no longer at the head table.

"I guess we have to tell them," Sirius sighed.

The other two nodded their agreement and left the great hall. A commotion though, stopped their way up the first flight of stairs. There was a scuffle and the creak of the large doors opening.

"Who do you think would be outside in this blizzard?" Lily asked, stepping down to see who it was.

The door banged shut and they could now hear labored breathing and dragging feet. They came down the last few steps and turned the corner only to see Peter Pettigrew running up to them with blood stains on his shirt.

"Peter?" they all questioned, taking in the sight of him.

"Aren't you supposed to be in the hospital wing?" Remus asked.

"They just released me this morning, but never mind that now. You guys have to come quick, its James!" he yelled already making his way back outside. They exchanged looks before following him at full speed.

The snow was thick and the wind seemed be blowing at them from all sides. They could barely see anything the only thing guiding them was the slight smug of grey, which was Pettigrew, moving further into the storm.

"Where are we going?" Sirius yelled catching up to him.

"Down by the lake. Cant you see the red lights?" Peter yelled back and now that he had mentioned it they could now see red, blue, and green lights flashing all around, the sure signs of a duel. This only made them run faster and they came just in time to see the lights stop and one, James Potter, lying unconscious surrounded by soon to be death eaters.

"Fuck," was all Sirius said which pretty much summed up the situation.

**Authors Note**- sorry about the language but hey sometimes I have a potty mouth. Anyways hope you guys enjoyed it and the next chapter should be about what James was doing the whole day. Anyways it would be awesome if you guys reviewed :)


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